It will star Tom Chambers, winner of BBC TV's "Strictly Come Dancing" and star of TV's "Holby City" and "Waterloo Road," in the Hanks role.

The musical, which features a book by John Weidman and a score by David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr., was originally staged on Broadway in a production directed by the late Mike Ockrent and choreographed by Susan Stroman. It will be directed here by Ian Talbot, former artistic director of the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, who is currently also directing the regional try-out of Lend Me A Tenor – the Musical at Plymouth Theatre Royal (through Oct. 6).

The plot revolves around a frustrated adolescent Josh Baskin who wishes he were  “big" and wakes up the next morning a 30 year-old man. He discovers there's much more to being an adult than he had bargained for, and learns that we must all grow up at our own pace, in our own time.

In a press statement, Chambers commented, "Big The Musical is quite literally the most exciting and the biggest challenge I've ever been given. The film is iconic and universally loved and I will do my all to make it as entertaining and fun for the audience as Tom Hanks so effortlessly made it."

Producers James Milton and Paul Morrissey, of Milton Morrissey Ltd, added, "At its heart, Big is a New York fairytale about the trials and triumphs of growing up. Tom Hanks captured the hearts of a generation in his Oscar-nominated performance in the film, and now Tom Chambers will do the same for a brand-new generation of theatre goers. It's a story that continues to enchant, and we're thrilled to be working with such a phenomenal team, to bring it to the stage." To book tickets for Liverpool Empire, contact the box office on 0844 847 2525, or visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk for more details.